Three men have denied killing a 21-year-old filmmaking student during a brawl at the Primrose Hill viewpoint in north London. Finbar Sullivan was allegedly kicked, punched, and fatally stabbed in the early evening on Tuesday, April 7.
Defendants Enter Not Guilty Pleas
Ernest Boateng, 25, Alexis Bidace, 25, and Oliuwadamilola Ogunyankinnu, 27, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday for a plea hearing before Judge Mark Dennis KC. Speaking by videolink from Belmarsh and Isis prisons, the men confirmed their identities and entered not guilty pleas to three charges each: murder, manslaughter, and violent disorder in Primrose Hill.
Details of the Attack
The court previously heard that emergency services were alerted to a fight involving young males on the evening of April 7. Mr Sullivan entered the park at 6.25pm and joined friends before allegedly being surrounded by a group of attackers. It is alleged that Boateng kicked Mr Sullivan, taking out his legs and causing him to fall to the ground, where he was then stabbed. Bidace is alleged to have punched and kicked Mr Sullivan alongside Ogunyankinnu. Another unnamed male, armed with a knife, allegedly stabbed Mr Sullivan in the thigh, causing an “unsurvivable” injury.
Victim Remembered
Finbar Sullivan, known as Fin by his friends, was a student at the London Screen Academy. His father, Christopher Sullivan, previously said: “This is the worst tragedy I could ever imagine. He's my only son... I had him when I was 45. He can never be replaced. He'd just bought a new camera, we all chipped in for his 21st birthday, and he took it up there to do a bit of filming. I'm so broken-hearted, I can't believe it. He was the most beautiful, lovely, outgoing, loving boy. He was just a really lovely person.”
Next Steps in Court
All three defendants, from Enfield, north London, were remanded into custody. Judge Dennis set a further case management hearing on September 25 ahead of their trial on April 5 next year.
